


The Flying Graysons

by BrokenWingedTenshi



Category: Batman - All Media Types, DCU, DCU (Comics), Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adoption, BAMF Dick Grayson, Badass Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Bruce Wayne Has Issues, Chat Noir Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Lady Noir, Confident Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Dick Grayson is Nightwing, F/F, F/M, Foster Care, I Blame Tumblr, I'm Bad At Summaries, I'm Bad At Tagging, Idiots in Love, Inspired by Miraculous Ladybug, Jason Todd Needs A Hug, Ladybug Kagami Tsurugi, Lila Rossi Bashing, Lila Rossi Redemption, Love Triangles, M/M, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug Deserves Better, Miraculous Side Effects, Multi, New Miraculous Holders, Plagg Swears (Miraculous Ladybug), Plagg is a Little Shit (Miraculous Ladybug), Protective Dick Grayson, Protective Plagg (Miraculous Ladybug), Rivalry, Sibling Rivalry, Strong Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Supportive Plagg (Miraculous Ladybug), This Is Not Going To Go The Way You Think, This Is STUPID, This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-11
Updated: 2020-12-10
Packaged: 2021-03-01 02:14:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 6
Words: 13,523
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23107564
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BrokenWingedTenshi/pseuds/BrokenWingedTenshi
Summary: Marinette and Richard Grayson never had the easiest life. They were acrobats, traveling with the circus. It was fun, but it wasn't very productive for making friends. Marinette inspired friendship and kindness from everyone. But Dick never had things as easily as he perceived them to be for his little sister.Now, years after the death of their parents and their subsequent separation, Dick has finally found her again. And with her, a liar. But if Marinette Grayson learned one thing in her time in foster care? It was how to take care of herself. And having the God of destruction nestled into her pocket doesn't hurt any either.TW: Mentions of sex, alluding to (possible future chapters discussing) emotional abuse, scenes containing mention of blood and other triggering themes.On the bright side, Mari is a bamf
Relationships: Batfamily Members & Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Cassandra Cain & Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Chloé Bourgeois/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug & Dick Grayson, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug & Rogues Gallery (Batman), Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug & Selina Kyle, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug/Jason Todd, Tim Drake/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Tim Drake/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug/Jason Todd
Comments: 94
Kudos: 693





	1. Flying Blind

**Author's Note:**

> Self control? Nope. Don't know her.

Dick Grayson had never expected this.

When they were young children, his little sister was a little ball of sunshine. Always in their colors as the flying Graysons, though she hated them. She much preferred pink. Sometimes white. Apparently, a lot had happened since her days of swinging to and fro with easy smiles and easier friendships.

Standing in the lobby of his adoptive father's company stood one Mary Annette (Marinette) Grayson. She hadn't changed her name, but she'd certainly changed everything else. Her black cargo pants had silver zips everywhere, the pants themselves tucking into sturdy boots. The seams of her pants were outlined in red, matching the tank top she wore that was just distinguishable under her black leather jacket with untold amounts of zippers. On her head, holding back long hair that stopped at her waist was a red headband. On one of her wrists, a red and black striped scrunchy sat undisturbed and she popped her bubblegum once.

"You know Lila, you could at least do me the courtesy of waiting until I turn my back to stab me in it."

The phrase was spoken in French, though Dick knew that if she'd kept up on her studies at all she could have called the girl out in a host of other languages. The brunette in question turned quickly, what the man could tell were fake, forced tears collecting in calculating eyes the color of dying grass. She sniffled, rubbing at one of her eyes.

"Wh-what do you mean Marinette? I'm just looking out for your best interests. The world of fashion can be so cruel. Don't you see?"

Lila and Marinette liked each other about as much as a root canal without anesthesia, but they had an agreement. Lila left Marinette alone, and vice versa. If she wanted to, Marinette could've brought Lila's entire little kingdom to a grinding halt. A lot of the things Lila boasted of? The people she claimed to know? Marinette had been in and out of the foster care system since she was a little girl. She'd been all over the world, really had done quite a few of the things she claimed, and had most of the people Lila claimed to know on speed dial. She didn't buy anything Lila said. Hadn't from the very beginning. And the Italian girl **hated** her for it. Across the room from her, the girl with the dark hair snorted. Arcing a brow over piercing azure blue, she set a hand on her hip. The class looked back and forth between their prima donna and their most dangerous student. She'd often used it to protect them. Who should they defend? But neither girl would need it.

"Yeah, telling the entire class that I would need things that are ' _so far out of my reach'_ what with my ' _amateur-ish designs_ ' and my ' _quick temper_ ' sounds a whole lot like friendly advice. Thanks Lila. But don't forget to look out for _**your**_ best interests."

Her tone was dry, but she didn't otherwise react, staring down the brunette across the room, green eyes looked away first.

"Don't worry. I can take care of myself."

Marinette just shrugged.

"I'm sure you can. But this is Gotham City . . . **Anything** could happen here. Somebody tell Mme. Bustier I stepped out for a sec, yeah? I could use a minute to sketch. Work on my ' **amateur-ish** ' designs."

The threat was obvious to Dick, but apparently not to anyone else. She did exactly as she said she would, stepping outside. But not before she gave Dick's hiding spot a meaningful glance on the way. She'd known he was watching!

Slightly shaken by the rather massive changes she'd gone through since he'd seen her last, he followed her out a second later. She was leaning against the building wall, popping another pale pink bubble.

"You gonna tell me why you're watching my class?"

The former acrobat swallowed thickly before stepping out of the shadows.

"I'm not allowed to miss my songbird?"

She froze, telling herself it couldn't be true. The only people who'd ever called her that were her family, and they were all dead. But when she turned her azure eyes to a matching set not five feet away, her mind cataloguing everything about him in seconds, she knew he couldn't be anyone else. So either this was a fever dream or-

" . . . Ricky? Is it really you?"

Her eyes burned with salt water she thought she'd long ago run out of. But somehow, someway, there were more. There were always more for him. He nodded minutely, and she wasted no time in launching herself into his arms with silent tears leaving trails down her face.

In the shadows, a certain Italian girl had taken several pictures. Gleaming sharp teeth showed through the darkness of her hiding place.

"Let's see how miss high and mighty handles it when someone outs her secret boyfriend."

Finally something she could use to discredit that arrogant girl! But to Lila's annoyance, they didn't even kiss. They hugged for a long while, and Lila sent a frown their way. Why were they just standing there? But the siblings staunched their tears and whispered soft words to one another, snickering softly at her attempt.

When they finally pulled away, Dick held out his arm for her to take. Marinette took hold of it easily, grinning devilishly at him.

"Care to meet a few friends?"

He grinned back, equally malicious.

"I'd like that little bird."

So she led him back in. This would be quite entertaining. In Marinette's pocket, Plagg gave a little purr of content. He decided he liked this boy his kit seemed to know.

~~~~~

Kagami had known that someone had been watching them. As a world class fencer, her senses were quite honed. Not to mention being the blood daughter of Marinette's current host mother. The two had been living and training together for almost three years now. At this point, in they final year of high school (which Marinette had somehow talked Tomoe into sending them both to), they were both quite lethal. Combining Kagami's classic training with Marinette's melee style, learned on the streets when she was on the run from abusive or ignorant families over the years had proved beneficial to both girls. Now, they were unstoppable.

In the hood of Kagami's sleeveless hooded polo, overlaid with a jean jacket, pulled up to cover her shoulder length hair and one red headphone, Tikki giggled and pointed out her chosen's sister. Marinette was walking in arm in arm with a boy who looked startlingly like the two of them. From the chin length dark hair that shone lighter when walking under rays of sunshine, to the cold, deviously calculating gaze. He was built, broad shouldered and lean. The girls were nothing to sneeze at either, muscular, lean frames hidden under artfully baggy clothes that Marinette was the mastermind behind. She signed every piece she created with a little embroidered bluebird. The same azure blue as the two pairs of eyes that found her.

Marinette tugged him over, relinquishing his arm and setting both hands on her hips. Kagami crossed her arms over her chest with a playful grin.

"Ricky bird, meet my foster sister Kagami Tsurugi. Don't let the word foster fool you. She's been family since I first met her. Kagami, meet my- sorry- our big brother Richard Grayson. He's my Ricky bird. Has been since we were kids."

Dick's eyes sparkled with amusement, and gave a firm handshake to Kagami. Apparently his other sister. An obnoxious laugh carne from the center of the rest of their class, Alix, Chloe and Juleka breaking off to come and meet them. Alix's black shorts and sleeveless tank top were perfect for her short, lithe frame as she roller bladed over. Juleka's red and purple swirled long sleeved t-shirt and dark wash jeans matched the theme, a light black vest over her top. Chloe sported a red leather jacket, reminiscent of Marinette's, a black tank top and red jeans, accompanied by fire engine red pumps and sunglasses. The three joined the group with shaking heads. Kagami just chuckled.

"So what's going on in the idiot court now?"

Alix just huffed softly, shaking her head and imitating Kagami's stance, arms crossed over her chest.

"They're saying this guy is Mary-cat's **_boyfriend_**."

Juleka chuckled softly, wrapping one arm around the shorter girl's shoulders and one arm astound Chloe The pink haired teen deflated a little, shaking her head. Kagami arched an amused brow.

"Would you like to explain or shall I?"

Marinette glanced over to where Lila held court, chuckling devilishly.

"Nah, just give it a minute."

Marinette and Lila met eyes, and Lila smirked. Finally! She could knock the other down a few pegs! As a whole, the class turned to Marinette and her friends. Rose spoke up in a tone that sounded almost betrayed.

"Marinette? Why didn't you tell us you had a long-term boyfriend?"

Behind her, Alix, Kagami and Juleka snickered. Dick looked a little confused, but with a head shake from Kagami, he just sat back to enjoy the show. Marinette's smile made Lila's blood run cold. She turned to Chloe for a moment, arching a curious brow.

"May I?"

Chloe nodded eagerly, striding up to Marinette, who put an arm around the blonde and planted a movie worthy, fireworks inducing, toe curling kiss on the heiress's lips right there in front of everybody. Turning back to Lila's cronies as they pulled apart, Chloe's knees turning to jelly as her friend with benefits held her upright.

"You wanna try that again Lila?"

The girl in question just sputtered, her face bright red and getting redder. Marinette just chuckled, whispering in Chloe's ear.

"I'm really sorry about putting you out like this. They don't respond any other way."

Chloe let out a breathy little giggle.

"If it gets me kisses like that, put me on the spot whenever you want. I'm not taken."

Lila's jaw dropped as Marinette and her friends went back to talking. But she wasn't quite finished yet.

"Then who is he!?"

Marinette glanced over her shoulder and shook her head.

"Don't point Lila, it's very rude. And you're very loud. We are in a place of business, so please quiet down. To answer your question, this is Kagami's and my older brother Richard. He lives here in Gotham."

Clapping his hands together once, he turned his eyes to the class as a whole.

"I also happen to be your tour guide. So now that we've gotten introductions out of the way, I'd appreciate it if you didn't try to sabotage my little sisters. Thanks. Now, on with the tour!"

With a conspiratorial wink toward the giggling girls who all found him quite amusing, the started in on the history of the Wayne family.

Marinette decided this day could not get any more interesting. She was proven quite wrong as Bruce Wayne himself strode through the doors followed by three young men. One who looked roughly their age, one who looked slightly younger, and one who only looked about thirteen. He stopped beside Dick with a slight frown. They must be his sons then. But she'd heard Bruce Wayne had four- . . . oh.

"Sorry we're late. Alfred had a troubling matter for us to see to before we could leave the house."

Dick arched a brow.

"Would that troubling matter be Jason's disturbing Yankee fashion sense?"

The aforementioned 'Jason' glared, puffing out a breath.

"That's real funny Dick. Better sleep with one eye open though. You never know what could happen to all your limited edition, special made superhero ties."

"You monster!"

Bruce rubbed at his temples slightly, sighing before turning his attention to the class.

"I see you've already met my oldest son Dick. These are my other three boys, Jason, Tim and Damian. In that order. I apologize for our tardiness. Please follow Dick to the conference room. We'll have a short presentation and get the tour started before lunch."

Oh, Marinette's day had just gotten so much better.


	2. Clueless

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Marinette has no observational skills when it comes to herself, and Dick is- . . . well, kind of a dick.
> 
> I wrote this instead of sleeping.

The welcome presentation was sure to be very helpful, but Chloe couldn't focus. She knew for a fact that the girl who had kissed her in broad daylight in front of their entire class was in fact, bisexual. She regularly joked about it. She even had shirts that proclaimed it for all the world to see. Which was why it was so hard for Chloe to concentrate once she'd noticed both Jason and Tim making eyes at Marinette. And while her more than a friend, less than a lover noticed them, the only reaction she'd had was to make faces at them. Chloe was getting a little sick of their ogling **her** Marinette. Huffing softly, she wrapped her arms around the girl's waist in her seat, laying on her shoulder with a slight pout. Which of course, according to Chloe's plan, Marinette took notice of. She wrapped her arm around the blonde and gave a kiss to her temple.

"Everything okay Chlo?"

The blonde sighed softly, nuzzling her dark haired companion with a slight upturn to her lips.

"Much better now."

The boys' jaws dropped, which brought a slight grin to the bluenette's lips when she noticed. Crossing her eyes and sticking her tongue out at them, she watched as bright red crawled up their necks. To Chloe, she just giggled.

"You tricky minx. Are you jealous?"

Chloe would forever deny pouting at the accusation.

"I've never been jealous a day in my life."

It was a blatant lie, and she felt awful about it but they both knew the score. Marinette didn't do relationships. Not since the tail end of middle school and that awful incident with Nathaniel and his now long-term boyfriend Marc. And Chloe could never actually be Marinette's girlfriend, even if she had been willing. So they were just friends with benefits. They weren't exclusive. They could and frequently did see other people, and so it would stay. No matter how much it ate Chloe up inside. She needed to remind herself of that.

Maybe Alix would be up for a little tryst later. Chloe needed to remember that she was not Marinette's, and Marinette was not hers. And while Marinette was bisexual and had never really been in love, Chloe was a full on lesbian, and she very much loved Marinette.

But if nothing ever came of it, and she was sure it wouldn't, she was content that they spent most of their nights together. Soon, even that may disappear.

~~~~~

Lila Rossi had never been so embarrassed in her entire life. She knew Marinette wore all those terrible graphic t-shirts about being bisexual, and joked often and sometimes (rarely) loudly about her sexuality, but Lila had been certain she was lying. Or at least had a male lean. Otherwise how could Lila justify her intense need to ignore her innate attraction to the girl? If not to avoid outright rejection and embarrassment, then why?

_Because she was scared._

But that couldn't be right. Lila wasn't afraid of anything. Why would anything about Marinette scare her. Sure the girl was witty, smart, courageous, loyal- ugh! Lila could not afford to think like this! She'd already made such a spectacle of hating Marinette. They hated each other. Still, she couldn't help but muse to herself. Marinette probably did hate her after all she'd put her through.

_Then again, hate sex would be-_

_No! Bad Lila! Stop that!_

Besides, despite what she might insinuate once or twice about a certain boy to keep him under her thumb, Lila was not the type of girl to do that outside of a relationship. And Marinette did not date. Marinette had flings. Marinette had trysts. But she did not ever date.

Lila could live with that. Just one more reason on the growing list of why she should avoid her sharp witted classmate. She could not afford to like someone she couldn't bend to her will. Because what else was there? That was all she knew. All she'd ever known. It was how her mother kept her father. Until the day he died, he'd been under her mother's thumb. It didn't seem happy to Lila, but what else was there to a relationship if not control? Dominance and submission, that was the way of the world. And if she could not be the dominant, she would destroy the dominant. Because Lila refused to be submissive to anyone. Not ever again.

~~~~~

Dick had noticed a few times, how many people seemed to stare at his younger sister. Sure she was beautiful, but these were all stares filled with emotion. Charged with an energy he could almost see. Chloe watched her with resignation, and admiration. Something more lurked behind her gaze, but he couldn't decipher it for the life of him. Jason and Tim looked at her with want, and with embarrassment. He'd have to ask them about it later. A red headed boy looked at her with gratitude, but every so often with regret. That was a look he knew well. And the girl who had accused them of dating to their class looked at her with grudging respect. And with a longing he could feel the intensity of. Kagami's stares were more worried than anything.

Marinette seemed blissfully unaware of these stares though. She didn't seem to notice them. Either that, or she was purposely ignoring them. In either case, he was mildly glad. He knew for a fact that at least two of those stares were looking for something more with his baby sister. Something he would not allow. After all, she was still innocent. He wouldn't let anyone take that away from her. Least of all these people, most of whom she didn't seem to care much for one way or the other.

She was just like he remembered her. She was still sweet when she spoke to people she cared about. She was still fierce when she felt threatened. She still hated liars. And she still hated the combination of their colors as the Flying Graysons, though she tried to incorporate at least one of the colors with her outfit each day. More as a way to remember than anything. An acknowledgement to their parents' memory. Perhaps a wish for things to return to the way they once were. If that was what she wanted, he would do everything he could to make it so.

After all, who knew better for her than he did?

~~~~~

Marinette was getting agitated. Jason was pinned to the wall with a fork sticking out of the shoulder of his shirt, just barely missing the skin, Damian was chasing Tim around with his silverware, there was a blonde unconscious on the ground, and Dick was trying to get her to sign guardianship papers. She stood up and slammed her fists against the table.

"THAT'S ENOUGH!"

But perhaps I should go back a little.

The tour went about as expected. Lila went on and on about her escapades helping Batman as a civilian aide. She said she'd helped him take down Two-Face and was practically a big sister to Robin. Marinette just rolled her eyes, one arm linked with Chloe's as their little friend group tried to pay attention to the tour guide (it didn't hurt that it was Marinette's brother doing the guiding).

The sheep that were the rest of her classmates goaded Lila on, asking for more. Lila only really talked about Red Robin, who she claimed to be in an on-again off-again relationship with. Not that it really mattered. She was more interesting in hearing about the history of Gotham regarding the Wayne family and their programs to help the less fortunate. She admired that they were mindful that not everyone had what they did. Maybe rich people weren't so bad. (Excluding Gabriel Agreste, because she still thinks he's a piece of shit, and Tomoe Tsurugi because she raised Marinette and in the teenager's mind, does not count.)

Soon enough they broke off into smaller groups for lunch. Marinette and her friends grabbed Dick and ran off for lunch. After, they were free until dinner. They'd gone to a small cafe that served excellent sweets as far as Marinette was concerned. The only sweets she'd had that were better were from the Dupain-Cheng Bakery back in Paris. The couple who owned it were quite nice, and she was on good terms with their daughter Bridgette. She was quite sweet, and had even given Marinette a few baking lessons. She was sure that if she had been a little tougher, Tomoe would've found a way to adopt her.

After lunch, everyone had branched off. Juleka and Alix had taken off toward the mall, laughing as Alix skated circles around the taller girl singing at the top of her lungs. Kagami had dragged off a protesting Chloe under what Marinette saw as an excuse that she needed the blonde's help picking out a souvenir for her mother. This left Marinette and Dick alone. Unbeknownst to Marinette, Dick had already requested that she be excused from dinner with the class to eat with the Wayne family up at the manor. The teacher had acquiesced under the restriction that she be back at the hotel by ten.

Somehow, he had gotten Marinette into a car driven by Alfred and to the manor with time for her to spar with (re: beat the crap out of) Jason and Tim, teach Damian about the 'Okay Boomer' meme, get into a debate with Stephanie about whether Moana or Tangled was the best Disney movie (Marinette was still firmly on the side of Moana), and help Alfred with setting the table even though he insisted it wasn't necessary. All of this before Bruce even peeked his head out of his study fifteen minutes before dinner (as he did every night) to see if the food was ready. He barely noticed the extra adolescent, ducking back into his office even Alfred told him that dinner would be ready in a quarter of an hour. The silent **as usual** hung on the air for a moment, but everyone ignored it or just didn't care.

Dinner had started off fine. They'd talked about the tour, her classmates (though she changed the subject as soon as she could without being too obvious), even her home life in Paris. But then Stephanie had brought up Disney again and got the whole family debating. Damian was firmly on Marinette's side with Moana, and Tim was voting Tangled with Stephanie. Tim tried to goad Jason into joining, but he had refused, Tim getting very much into his personal space as they argued.

Whatever was going on in Stephanie's head had, at this point, caused her to pass out and fall out of her chair. Tim said something about the 'obvious superiority' of Tangled, and Damian had begun chasing him with his cutlery. Jason had gotten involved briefly, reached out a hand to Marinette to try and pull her involved, and Dick had launched a fork at him so hard it had pinned him to the wall. All without ever stopping his rant about how living with her big brother would be so much better for her than 'living with strangers, no matter how nice they were' and 'looking for family elsewhere when she already had family here'.

Which brings us to the current situation, Marinette standing with her fists against the table and wisps of midnight blue-black hanging in her eyes. Dick reached out hesitantly, laying a hand to her shoulder. When she spoke, it was gravelly and rough.

"Eleven years."

Everyone froze. Dick was the only one brave enough (re: stupid enough) to break the silence.

"What?"

When Marinette looked up, cold rage burned in her azure eyes. The same eyes he saw in the mirror every day. The same eyes of the woman who had sung them to sleep as children and waited patiently as they fell to the net when they trained for the trapeze as children. The same eyes he had always known. Or at least thought he did.

"Eleven fucking _**years**_ Ricky! Eleven **_years_** you went on about your fucking privileged little life here in Gotham! You never once thought about me after I was gone! You didn't care! You think just because you waltzed back into my life like a fucking hurricane trying to make a mess of the life I've built in Paris I'll be a good little girl and shut up and sign the fucking papers!? I'm not a little kid anymore. You can't **make** me one. And I refuse to be yanked around like a rag doll because you suddenly decided you want to pretend nothing has changed!"

Dick stared at her for a minute, uncomprehending. His brows furrowed, he tried again.

"Mary, I just want-"

"Ricky, I swear to all that's holy in the god forsaken world if you say you just want what's best for me I'll rip your voice box out and shove it up your ass."

He went silent, paling intensely as she brushed his hand off her should and glared around the room.

"I'll say this once only. I'm not some scared little kid you can pull into the fold and fix. I'm not broken. I never was. And I'm damn sure not about to sign any papers. I don't need rescued, and I damn sure don't need anyone deciding what's **best** for me. In a few months, I'll be eighteen. I don't need a guardian. And even if I did, it'd take a lot more than a day of flowery words and your stupid rich people mentality of thinking you can buy people's love. I don't do love, and I definitely don't sell it. I'm outta here. I'll walk back to the hotel. If you've got a problem with it? Bite me."

She moved to Alfred, giving a respectful bow.

"Thank you for the meal Monsieur, it was delicious. I look forward to any future intersections we may have."

Alfred chucked, thanking her for her kind words and assuring she was really set on walking back to the hotel. She really was, and he provided her with a taser and his phone number in case she needed anything before he let her leave. When she left, she was careful not to slam the door too hard so she wouldn't beak the glass before stomping off across the long driveway and towards the hotel where she knew she would find her classmates milling about the lobby. Her friends were likely waiting to hear all about what had happened.

This was going to be a long night.


	3. Superhero Chic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Kagami plots vengeance and Mary makes a discovery.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HA! Finally got this adjusted enough to post. Anyways, enjoy soft Damian and BAMF Mari!

When Marinette made it back to the hotel, she let out a breath she hadn't known she'd been holding. She had made it without incident, which meant that the anger festering in her soul hadn't been unleashed on some poor fool trying to mug her. Ignoring her friends and classmates in favor of heading right for she and Kagami's shared room. They had planned it that way, so their kwamis could wander about the room without worries of being caught by a nosy roommate. In addition, they'd brought the miracle box with them.

Master Fu was training the two young heroes in the ways of the order, so they could begin it again. It was a lot of pressure, but less so when they took it on together. Marinette stalked in with a frown across cherry red lips. Huffing loudly, she slammed the door behind her. Throwing herself onto her bed, she screamed into her pillows. It went on for a good five minutes of her stopping for big deep breaths before going right back to screaming.

When she finally sat up, back to the head board and clutching a pillow to her chest, Kagami was looking at her with a vaguely amused expression. She'd called for room service earlier, including the kwamis' favorite snacks, so Plagg was sitting on the table beside Marinette's bed happily eating his cheese. His kit was used to the smell by now, sighing softly. For a moment, neither spoke.

" . . . he asked me to sign guardianship papers."

The slight frown that marred Kagami's pretty face made Marinette even more angry about the situation she'd been pushed into. But her anger had come and gone, tiring her out so it just added to the numb feeling in her chest. A yawning chasm that threatened to swallow her whole.

" . . . Did you sign?"

Marinette scoffed, brows furrowing and mouth slipping into a pout.

"I would never leave you out to dry like that soră. Not in a million years. Blood relation or no, you and Tomoe are my family. And there's no way I would leave you to handle hawk moth and guarding the miracle box on your own. That's way too much for any one person to carry alone."

Kagami softened at the Romanian term for sister, patting the spot next to her. Marinette followed the unspoken directive, moving to sit next to the taller girl. She laid her head on her sister's shoulder with a heavy sigh, comforted by the arm that wrapped around her. Plagg had followed her over, perching on her shoulder and nuzzling into her softly with continuous purring. Tikki landed on Kagami's head, yawning softly. Everyone else echoed it, and Marinette chuckled, fighting her drooping eyelids.

"Get some rest Annie. We'll deal with all of it tomorrow. We'll talk through it all and figure out what to do, like we always do."

Marinette just nodded, and Kagami hummed a lullaby to her companion's deepening breaths and closed eyes. Tikki watched the girls with a soft smile, and Plagg waited for his kit to be firmly asleep before looking to Kagami.

"So I'm still not allowed to Cataclysm humans?"

Kagami chucked, the sound cold and devious.

"No Plagg, but don't worry. He will pay for making my soră feel this way. She owes him nothing, not even a place in her life . . . and neither do we."

Mollified, Plagg nuzzled into his kit's neck and drifted off to sleep. Kagami hummed softly, and Tikki nuzzled her softly.

"What are you thinking my devious girl?"

Kagami just smiled softly.

"Why, revenge of course."

Tikki just giggled. 

"What else indeed. For now though, try to get some sleep. You'll do better at enacting revenge if you're rested."

Her bug sighed softly, leaning against her sister with drooping eyelids.

"You're right. Good night Tikki."

"Good night my little bug."

And with that Kagami was asleep.

~~~~~

The day dawned bright and clear, and Kagami was quite entertained. A bleary Marinette was wandering about their room with Plagg still asleep in her hair as she pulled out the clothes she wanted to wear. Black leather pants with open holes down the left thigh and in the right knee, a black tank top with acidic green paw prints trailing up from the bottom right side up to the left shoulder and a forest green cropped leather jacket. It took her another fifteen minutes to be ready.

When she returned to the room, Kagami was already dressed in her black skirt, red rights, ladybug spotted tank and black hoodie, a large red circle on the back with five black spots in it. They were clearly going for superhero chic today, and Kagami had texted the girls to dress appropriately. The knock on the door signaled their arrival and Kagami opened it with a nod.

Chloe, in her white v neck with superman's S emblazoned across her chest, white thigh high boots and red skirt, long blonde hair loose around her shoulders looked to be going for power girl. Alix followed next, red top with wonder woman's gold W across the neckline, the top itself fitting more like a tube top with detached red sleeves. Her blue skater skirt and knee socks were paired with red and blue sneakers, and she grinned as she walked in. Puberty had given her curves and muscles that filled out the outfit quite nicely. Kagami whistled appreciatively, the pink haired girl winking at her. Behind her, Juleka shuffled along in her all black, from her ripped jeans and combat boots to her form fitting top with the bat symbol and her belt with all the added pockets she's asked Marinette to adjust for her. When Kagami smiled at her, she suddenly found her boots very interesting.

Wrapping an arm around Juleka and tugging her close, she watched Marinette survey their friends. Nodding in satisfaction, Kagami briefly noted Plagg hiding in her sister's hair. She wouldn't have noticed him if she weren't looking for him. Mari's long blue was mostly out, save for the braided crown at her temples.

"I think that about does that. Bags are in the closet. Kags, don't forget your ladybug bag. I put that pin that needed repairing in it. It's been fixed but it still needs a few things before I'm satisfied with it."

Kagami nodded at her sister's careful wording. Hawk Moth had lost his ally with a little help from their occasional ally Stallion. Adrien Agreste had taken to Kaalki's miraculous like a fish to water, and she was satisfied with his fame. She rather liked her current wielder, despite the fact that he let Lila cling to him. It was at Kagami's request, for her plan to topple Lila's precarious position. He had stolen the peacock miraculous from his father, returning it to Crimson Wing and Lady Noire. In return, they had made him a permanent holder. He had earned their trust, and that was a rare thing for them.

Marinette put her cell phone and room key into her pocket, sliding her sketch book, pencil bag, phone charger, a few snacks and a water bottle into her mini Lady Noire backpack, black with those same green paw prints from the bottom right to top left and painted onto each of the zippers. Sliding it over her shoulder, she chuckled softly as the girls each packed their mini backpacks. They had coordinated their outfits for the whole trip, albeit they'd only be here for three weeks. But that was fine. Less time to deal with her idiot brother and his family.

A soft huff left her at the thought, and she headed for the door, standing beside it with a vaguely amused expression. Now that she wasn't so angry about those papers, it was kind of funny. Some rich guy agreed to let her brother bring her guardianship papers to drag her into his brood of troubled children. A light chuckle left her, and she shook her head, wrapping an arm around Alix's shoulders as she came to stand beside her. Chloe was last to pack up her bag, opening the door and letting everyone out before taking Marinette's other side as the door shut behind them. The arm that found its way around her waist relaxed her, and she laid on her companion's shoulder. Alix was laying on the other side and it was quite a sight. Kagami and Juleka were ahead of them a bit, swinging their joined hands lightly as they all made their way to the elevator and then the lobby.

The class' chatter grew louder as they walked past, taking seats at a table and chatting quietly about what had happened when Dick had stolen her away from the class. Laughter came easily, until Marinette's eyes narrowed and she arched a brow.

"Lila, if you take one more step toward any of us with that milkshake I will lose my mind. You know damn well you're a klutz, and we worked very hard to coordinate our outfits for this trip. Keep your drink away from us please and thank you."

Rolling her eyes at the stomp and subsequent walking away of the girl in question, Marinette chuckled softly. She really didn't understand why Lila even tried. A few glares were directed her way, but she ignored them in favor of laughing with her girls.

This day could not go wrong.

~~~~~

This day could not go right.

Damian Wayne was having an awful day. He was supposed to be going to Wayne Enterprises with his father to learn a bit about the family business and the programs it helped. But so far, he'd lost one of his shoes to a grumpy Titus, his hair looked like Alfred the cat had slept in it, and he could not for the life of him figure out how this tie worked.

Even after he'd found another pair of shoes to wear (he took them from Drake), somehow managed to fix his hair (with Grayson's hair gel), and gotten a wonderful breakfast, foregoing the tie, he was still in a bad mood. Perhaps it had started this morning, or perhaps it was that fiasco at dinner the night before. Either way, he was glad his brothers had all left early this morning rather than being present to bother him.

Once his animals were fed, he had proceeded to meet his father in the front hall. Alfred was already waiting in the car, and it was a silent ride to a local soup kitchen. A bit unexpected, but not out of the ordinary. He was to help with all of his father's business dealings over the next week. He knew for a fact that his father often came to do a bit of community service out in the public eye. So it was no surprise to him when the two of them headed right to the back and put on aprons, ready to help.

What was surprising was when the French class that had toured WE had walked in and the teacher spoke in broken English until Marinette had set a hand on her shoulder. Thanking the girl in French, she let Marinette take it from there.

"I apologize, my teacher's English hasn't been used in a bit, but she's relearning as best she can. We've come to help. You should have received a call about a week ago confirming that Miss Bustier's class was still clear to volunteer today."

With her disarming smile and an accompanying one from the teacher, the man in charge seemed rather flustered. He sputtered for a moment before he could answer.

"It's no problem at all miss. Lord knows it's difficult to learn a new language, and English is needlessly complicated. We've been expecting you. You can pick up your aprons with Sally back in the kitchen. My name is Marcus, and you can speak with either of us if there's any difficulty."

A few more exchanged words later and Marinette was leading her class in. Sliding up, he tapped her on the shoulder as she directed her class. She turned and showed that bright grin, giving him a quick one armed hug.

"Hey Dames! I didn't expect to see you here. Give me just a minute, okay? I need to translate for these guys and make sure everyone gets to where they need to be."

Fifteen minutes and an argument with Lila later, Marinette and Damian stood together dishing out plates for those who came to the shelter for food. Damian tolerated it, even slightly enjoyed it. He rather liked the feeling of helping people. But Marinette was made for it. She had a smile and a kind word for everyone. When all were served, she took him around with her to check on everyone. She spoke kindly, smiled sweetly, and everyone loved her. Even Damian couldn't bring himself to be upset in the presence of her smile.

When she did finally take a break, she first spoke with her teacher to make sure nothing else needed done. When she'd triple checked that everything was taken care of, she and Damian had a seat outside under a tree with a large canopy of leaves. It was unusual for downtown Gotham, but he found he quite liked. Marinette shared her packed lunch with him, which she had asked the staff at her class' hotel to allow her to make herself, chattering idly until a comfortable silence settled upon them. He hated to interrupt it, but he was curious.

"Marinette-"

"Mary."

He stared at her for a moment.

"I beg your pardon?"

She smiled softly, eyes shining in such a way that made them seem more soft. Gentle. Caring even.

"My name. It's actually Mary. Annette is my middle name, but my foster mother called me that when we first met, my foster sister Kagami picked it up, and it just caught on no matter where we went. But my name is Mary. Always has been . . . that's the name my parents gave me, the same as my mother's. It's the one thing I've always had. I'd like it if you'd call me by my name. Not many people do."

Damian swallowed thickly, sad for some reason. It was a feeling that permeated the air, dragging him down. And, though she was smiling, it was coming from his companion.

"Alright . . . Mary then. Might I ask . . . why were you so angry yesterday? I understand that the way he went about it was wrong, but Grayson had good intentions. He always does. It's quite annoying really."

Mary snorted beside him. Pulling up a leg, she set her elbow on her knee and looked upward. She appeared to be thinking over her words. When she spoke, it was careful. And so very sad.

" . . . Well intentioned, huh? I've been burned by well intentioned people before. I know you probably think I've been terribly dramatic about all of this, but you have to understand my position."

Damian stiffened a bit.

"And . . . what is your position?"

For a moment, she was completely still.

"I have a family in Paris. As good as any blood family. I like my life the way it is. I've lived everywhere from the alleyways of Gotham to a tower across the world. I finally found a happy medium, and suddenly my big brother . . . someone I thought was as good as dead shows up trying to fix me . . . I spent a long time trying to do just that at first. But I've learned that I'll never be the same little girl I used to be. I'm different now. And he doesn't know this new me. After I broke . . . I put my pieces back together differently. In a way that would keep me alive. Moving. Breathing. And even if things could be the way they used to be? I wouldn't want them to be. And if Ricky wants to be a part of my life now? He should get to know me now. Not look at me like I'm that same scared little kid clinging to him as I watched the police take our parents' still bodies away right in front of us. Because I'm not anymore. And he can't turn me into something I'm not."

Damian listened. He considered. And he understood. He knew what it was like to be dropped into someone's home and have them try to change who you need to be to survive. Perhaps because like attracts like, he wanted to protect her. Even from Dick. Because what kind of brother made someone so lovely and full of life feel so empty. Sad.

"Believe it or not, I get it. When my mother left me with my father, he didn't even know I existed. And he wanted to change me. Dick wanted to change me. Even Todd and Drake wanted to change me. Obviously they didn't do a very good job-"

It brought a giggle from her, and he smiled slightly, but continued.

"But they meant well. Change can be . . . difficult. But it can be good. Think of it like alchemy. Just because one thing transforms into another, it doesn't mean what was there to begin with is gone. It's like the pressure that forces a diamond to form. It takes time, and the original material is forced to remake and reform itself . . . but it creates something beautiful, and even more worthwhile than what there was before. At least by human standards. That's far from the and of the transformation though. No transformation is ever truly complete. Especially when it comes to people . . . we're fickle creatures, aren't we?"

Mary thought for a moment, chuckling softly.

"That we are. But it's what makes us so interesting."

The rest of their time was spent peaceful enjoying each other's company. When Damian and Bruce sat down to dinner with everyone later that night, Damian was quiet. Not unusual, but he seemed brighter. Happier. A slight lull in conversation brought up a thought. Damian looked up.

"By the way Grayson, if you ever upset my new big sister like that again, I will castrate you."

Jason nearly choked.

~~~~~

Somewhere in uptown Gotham City at three in the morning, Marinette was in the middle of a ring of weapon toting thugs. She had left a sleeping Plagg back at the hotel to take a walk while she considered the conversation she'd had with Damian earlier in the day. She hadn't noticed her surroundings until it was too late. Still, she wasn't too worried. Taking her stance, she chuckled softly.

"You assholes just made my night."

The dark suited human landing right in front of her was a bit surprising, but she just arched a brow.

"Stand back miss. I'll protect you."

Okay, bad move. She hadn't been in the best mood to begin with, but this jackass was playing the hero card on her? That was not about to fly with her. Especially considering she knew that voice. Kicking him in the small of the back, she used his bent stature to cartwheel over, darting right into the line of thugs. She didn't care about anything except where the next blow would need to go. Her fists flew, her feet weaved through enemies like it was a dance and she was absolutely calm. She could see the masked figure she knew to be called Nightwing just staring open mouthed as she finished off the last of her attackers. She started toward him, but the words of one of her attackers stopped her cold.

" _Beware the Court of Owls, that watches all the time,  
_ _Ruling Gotham from a shadowed perch,_ _behind granite and lime._  
 _They watch you at your hearth,_ _they watch you in your bed._  
 _Speak not a whispered word about them,_ _or they'll send the Talon for your head."_

With a kick, he was silenced and she turned back to Nightwing, eyes blazing with icy flame.

"And just what _the fuck_ do you think you're doing galavanting about at three a.m. spouting nonsense about protecting me? And don't you dare lie to me Richard Grayson."

Dick paled, looking almost sickly against his suit.

"Oh shit."


	4. Guardian

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mary has the beginnings of a meltdown.

The bat cave was amazing. Really. Any other time and Mary would have been losing her mind over how cool it was. But at the moment, things were a bit tense, and she was quite focused on the two in front of her. In the chair in front of the bat computer, turned to face her, was Bruce Wayne in full Batman attire sans the cowl. Beside him, Dick stood in full Nightwing apparel. Standing with her arms crossed over her chest, one foot tapping, she finally broke the silence, voice tight and holding barely restrained anguish.

"He was your first Robin."

It wasn't a question. They all knew that. But Bruce answered anyways.

"Yes, he was. After your parents' death I adopted him. I wasn't able to get custody of you both, and you were too sweet for my life anyways. I thought you'd be better off with another family, but that doesn't mean I didn't try. I'm sorry Mary."

She shook her head, toes still tapping away, though her expression softened somewhat.

"I'm not upset about that. I like the way my life turned out. Everything happens for a reason. And I know what Ricky was like back then. He was never the type to let others fight his battles . . . but after . . . why didn't you stop him?"

Bruce took a moment, considering his answer. Why hadn't he stopped Dick after Tony Zucco was taken care of?

" . . . It's as you said. He was never one to let others fight his battles. And after the man responsible for your parents' death was taken care of, he viewed cleaning up the streets of Gotham as his fight. This city is his home. If I had tried to stop him, he would have gone off on his own and, to be frank, would likely have gotten himself killed."

Mary went silent, trembling slightly. Bruce and Dick watched carefully. Gritting her teeth, she strode over to the nearest wall and, before either could stop her, slammed her fist into it. But instead of spraying blood, what filled the air was concrete dust. She had pulverized a section of the wall. Her breaths were heavy, and she turned to them with tears running down her face.

"YOU WERE HIS GUARDIAN! YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO PROTECT HIM! YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO KEEP HIM SAFE!"

She pulled her hand out of the hole in the wall, darting over and grasping the arms of Bruce's chair, nearly crumbling them in her hands. He could hear the cracking her grip caused, but stayed straight faced even when those icy blue eyes zeroed in on him and she snarled. For a moment, he was sure her eyes flashed green. Her voice was a deadly hiss.

"Now you listen to me Bruce Wayne. You took in my brother as a child, and you made him a weapon. You let him out there with psychopaths and murderers, and you let him stay there even when his task was done. You brought him so far in that even once you had a new Robin, he couldn't quit. If you think training him excuses you, you have got another thing coming. Ricky is the only blood family I have left. If my big brother dies out there, I will hold you personally responsible. You'll wish you were dead."

She stood up straight, addressing Dick now.

" . . . I'm still pissed at you, but you better not die on me . . . I can't lose anybody else."

She walked out rubbing the tears from her eyes, and Robin and Red Hood rode in on Hood's motorcycle, catching sight of her just as she disappeared through the door up to the house. All was still for a moment, before Damian stepped up into the spot Mary had started in, arms crossed and frown tugging his lips downward.

"What did you two do to her?"

Dick had to wonder when they had become so alike.

~~~~~

When Mary returned to the hotel just as the sun was rising, she crept into she and Kagami's room in an effort not to wake anyone. Of course, as she had suspected, Kagami was awake. The kwamis, however, were asleep. Nodding to her sister, she picked up a forest green dress, red jacket, canary yellow tights and a golden belt on her way into the bathroom.

She heard the whispers. Of course she did. There was little she did not hear. At this stage of miraculous wielding, when holders began developing qualities of their kwamis, Mary's hearing was superhuman. Just like her kwami.

It was nothing to shower and dress, never once looking into a mirror. Nothing to wash away the dry tear tracks. Nothing to school her hair into a neat side braid. When she stepped out, pulling on her socks and her signature combat boots. She knew Chloe was there, watching her with those sad eyes. She knew. But she ignored her until she spoke.

"Mary cat?"

The girl in question winced at the name. Chloe crawled up and draped her arms over Mary's shoulders. Nuzzling against her and sprinkling light kisses down her neck, she ignored the way her companion tensed beneath her touch. She didn't see the guilty eyes, or the pursed lips.

"Chloe . . . we can't."

Chloe nuzzled a bit more.

"Why not Mary cat? Don't you want me anymore?"

She hated the insecurity in the blonde's voice, but knew this needed to be done.

"Chloe, stop . . . I can't do this anymore. We both knew this wasn't going to lead anywhere, and it's been fun, but I just . . . can't. It's not anything you did. You're a beautiful, smart, amazing girl. You deserve a lot more than I can give you. This isn't about that, but it's also why this would have eventually ended like this anyways. Better sooner than later."

Chloe slid back as she talked, until she was seated across the bed. A slight frown tugged across her lips, and she sighed softly.

" . . . Okay. But we're still friends, right?"

Mary took her hand, and perhaps because like attracts like, midnight blue met morning blue, and Mary smiled. Smiled because as much as she'd promised herself she wouldn't get attached, it shattered her to hurt Chloe. She could never be with someone that way. And Chloe deserved so much more than what Mary could offer of her heart. She had considered her feelings after she'd discovered Dick's identity.

She had known, in an abstract kind of way, that she was verging on dangerous territory with the blonde. Already she'd had to lie to Chloe a few times to get away for attacks. Already the girl had woken up alone on nights when Mary was supposed to be there. And it hurt the both of them. She could not condone hurting Chloe.

_But wasn't that what she was doing now?_

This was for the better. Because despite what she had told Damian, when it carne to this kind of love, she really was still broken. And Chloe deserves more than a broken woman. Setting her free hand on Chloe's cheek, she sighed softly.

"Chloe bee, we will _always_ be friends. You're one of the only people I've ever truly trusted. I don't ever want to hurt you. And if we were to keep doing this, I would most definitely hurt you."

Chloe pursed her lips, but nodded.

" . . . Then that's enough for me. Come on, we should meet the others. Let them know you're okay."

Mary nodded, following her lead, standing up and heading out. She ignored the stares at their joined hands, fingers intertwined. She ignored the whistles at Chloe's black dress and blue tights, deep blue Nightwing symbol across her chest. She ignored everything but the people she was walking towards. The small pink haired girl with her red blouse and black tights, a soft brown leather jacket covering her arms. The tall goth with the purple hair with her black tights and top and canary yellow skirt, Batman logo across her chest. Her sister with the eyes that saw too much and looked too sad in her red dress and black tights and jacket.

Something felt off. She just couldn't place it yet. Shaking her head, she pushed the feeling aside. After all, how bad could it be?

~~~~~

Plagg didn't like this feeling. It made his fur stand up. He knew his kit could feel it too. This city was just brimming with chaotic energy. From the tops of the buildings to the stones on the streets. It was slowly changing his kit. She became more catlike every day.

That wasn't necessarily a bad thing. Mary had needed a bit more skill in her arsenal. This would give her the boost she needed for she and Kagami to finally defeat Hawk Moth. But at what cost? He feared it was starting to change her more than she knew. She was like an agitated cat, and he could practically see the tail twitching. But she pretended well. No one seemed to suspect anything except Kagami. For that at least, Plagg was grateful.

~~~~~

Back in the bat cave, Damian stabbed a sword into the foot of one of Mary's attackers. Dick had brought him back for questioning, and Damian was not taking the attempted assault of his new sister well.

"I won't ask you again. What do you want with Mary?"

The disturbing mix of human and bird that had been hiding breath a ski mask chuckled darkly.

"I know not of this Mary. Only that I was to seek the weakness of the prophesied Gray Son. I seek the girl for that purpose only. The Gray Son will lead the court to victory."

The voice was grating on Damian's nerves, and he pulled his sword free, marching off. He really, really hated owls.

~~~~~

Mary had been perfectly fine with being attacked in the dead of night. No one was around to see. No one was around to get hurt. But now, in front of all Her classmates at a museum full of civilians, agree was livid. Her eyes slid towards Kagami, who directed her eyes to the masked figures guarding their escape before bringing them back to her sister. Directing her gaze toward the only one with a gun she wasn't sure she could handle, Kagami looked back again and arched a brow.

A subtle nod from Mary followed, and she shifted slightly towards the exit. Well, it looked like their little vacation had been cut short. Crimson Wing and Lady Noire were in town.


	5. Super Siblings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Super Siblings?  
> Super Siblings.
> 
> Or: When Dick, Kagami and Damian fight over favorites.

Mary really hated hostage situations. They had to move quickly. There were plenty of guards, but not nearly enough to be a real issue. From outside, she could hear the police calling for some villain or another. Two-Face, she was fairly certain. She had yet to see him. Perhaps his focus was in another room. However, in this one there were only three guards and a handful of civilians.

It was a simple plan, and her fingers twitched in anticipation. She just had to wait for the signal. She was a good strategist, but Kagami would find the opening. She knew it was better to follow her sister's plan than worry about the semantics. When Kagami nodded, both girls sprung into action. Kagami slipped behind the one with the large gun and kicked him in the back. With a stomp to the back of his knee and a choke hold, he was easily subdued. Mary darted between her attackers, slamming their heads together. Delivering a roundhouse kick to the one still standing, she followed it up with a swift punch that probably sent a few teeth down the throat of his buddy, who had been attempting to get up.

A search of the room and the removal of a large grate later, the civilians were ushered through and toward the outside. Mary and Kagami assured them that they would be safe and get out as soon as they found their friends. As soon as they were sure there were no cameras in the room, they let their kwamis free. With one look at the girls and the unconscious thugs, the kwamis fell into an unusually serious demeanor.

"Tikki, spots on!"

"Plagg, claws out!"

Bright red and green lights flashed, leaving two suited up Parisian heroes. Kagami in her black suit with its blood red gloves, boots and belt, hummed softly, looking around. The wings on her back twitched, and the red circle on her chest with the five black spots shone proudly. Her hair was up in a ponytail, ribbons coming up to look like antennae, bangs framing her black mask with the red tips. Her yoyo sat at her waist, and a sword was strapped comfortably to her back. Crimson Wing was ready.

Mary, dressed all in black with a bright green paw print over her heart, tugged lightly at the neon green edge of her black gloves. The same edging was applied to her boots, and lined what would, on a normal outfit, be a zipper from navel to neck. The black collapsed bow staff sat comfortably at her waist, a gun with rubber bullets loaded sat holstered to her thigh, and she flexed her claws experimentally. Her hair was over one shoulder in a braid. A tail flicked behind her lightly, and the cat ears atop her head twitched at every sound. Glowing blue eyes turned to her sister with a grin.

"What do you think bug? Are gun toting idiots afraid of the dark?"

Kagami shrugged, a slight smirk across her lips.

"Only one way to find out."

Luckily for them, Lady Noire's ears led them to the fuse box with little trouble. A thug or two along the way, but nothing they couldn't handle. The lights went out, and the shrieks were a bit annoying for Mary, but she ignored them. Her sight grew sharper, and she knew Kagami would adjust quickly. They'd done so much training in the dark it was second nature by now.

Crimson Wing nodded to her partner, and they headed out into the museum. They crept along like predators, taking out thugs left and right. They even made a game of it. Whoever lost had to buy the winner their favorite desert as a celebratory treat.

In the dark, they had the upper hand.

By the time the bats arrived ten minutes after the lights went out, Two-Face and all his goons were gathered in the front room, sprawled haphazardly with two costumed girls sitting in the middle playing rock paper scissors. The one with the cat ears pouted childishly, huffing.

"No faaair, you always choose scissors."

"Then maybe you should have chosen rock sorá."

Nightwing opened his mouth to speak, but the girl with the cart ears held up one finger. A gesture of 'one moment'. He was quite confused. Where had these two come from? The rush of civilians coming through the doors a moment ago had tipped them off that the danger had passed, but who was it that had taken care of the problem before the bats could even get three.

The girl in the black and red turned to face them, arching a brow. Her sister, as she had been called, leaned over her shoulder with a mischievous grin.

"Bat boys.~"

Her flirty tone sent bright red creeping up Tim's cheeks, and Jason shivered slightly. Dick narrowed his eyes slightly. They seemed familiar, though he couldn't place where from. Suddenly, the girl with the cat ears narrowed her eyes at Robin. She walked around her sister and knelt in front of him. Watching him closely, with Damian studying her just as closely, the boy cracked a smile.

"Good to see you again so soon أخت." (Sister)

The girl narrowed her eyes a bit more.

"You understand what I have to do now, correct?"

The current boy wonder nodded almost gleefully.

"Can I watch?"

The girl chucked.

"Of course you can frate. (Brother) We'll consider it a lesson in pissing off powerful women, yes?"

He nodded, and she grinned, standing back up.

"Excuse me Sorá, but I have a bat to skin."

Dick blinked a few times, shaking his head.

"Wait. Mary!?"

She just blinked at him a few times.

" . . . You just now noticed?"

He had . . . so many questions. But before all that, he looked between all his brothers.

"Bat cave. Now."

He looked over to the other costumed girl, who was leaning against the wall with her arms crossed over her chest and a slight grin.

"You too if you wouldn't mind Kagami."

She nodded lightly, pushing off the wall and coming to stand beside their sister.

"Lead the way blue boy."

~~~~~

For the second time in as many days, Mary was inside the bat cave- THE FREAKING BAT CAVE- and didn't care one little bit. The second she caught sight of Bruce at the bat computer, she lunged for him. Kagami and Dick had predicted this, each darting forward and grabbing one arm to hold her back. When Bruce turned around, he was met with a struggling Lady Noire held between Nightwing and Crimson Wing.

"I should skin you alive Bruce Wayne! Still letting children fight your battles for you! Still letting minors out there with weapons to face maniacs! Still a FUCKING COWARD! LET ME GO DAMN IT!"

She struggled heavily, but her siblings held fast. Dick whispered platitudes, and Kagami watched her silently; pleading with her eyes. The way they were looking at her though . . . they seemed almost frightened. And when she glanced behind Bruce, she could see why.

Because in the screen of the bat computer, she could see her own reflection. Her incisors had sharpened to animalistic fangs, and her eyes were a toxic shade of green. Her claws had grown and sharpened, and her tail twitched madly. A soft whimper left her at the sight. What was happening to her?

When they felt her go slack, both Kagami and Dick wrapped their arms around her. She allowed it for a moment before squirming enough that they'd let her go. Jason had taken off his helmet, and was openly staring.

" . . . What the hell did you just do and where can I learn it?"

Kagami, Dick and Damian glared at him for being so insensitive, but after a moment's hesitation, Mary just laughed. Probably way more than she should have, but she couldn't stop. She laughed until there were tears in her eyes and she couldn't breathe. A few minutes later and she was on the floor, Damian and Jason both leaning over her with wide grins.

"Everything okay there Puss in Boots? . . . That I really want a pair of. What the hell? Why does your magic ring give you such cool outfits? That's so not fair."

Mary giggled some more, taking a moment to breathe before she sat up. All the worried looks quickly killed her smile, and as she looked to Kagami and Dick, her lip quivered.

"Guys? . . . What's wrong with me?"

Both of her older siblings (because, excluding Damian for a moment, Mary was the baby, even if Kagami was only six months older) rushed to her sides, Damian still sitting on his knees beside Kagami, though Jason was pushed out of the way by Dick. It was strange . . . she almost felt . . . at home. Even though she was still mad at Dick (less so now that she'd had time). Even if technically Damian and Kagami weren't really her siblings (not that anyone could tell her that). Even if she was an ocean away from her home. (Tomoe was her mother, no matter who had given birth to her. Not to say she didn't love her birth mother, but Tomoe had been with her through so much that she had earned the title.)

"Sorá, nothing is wrong with you."

It was Dick who used the term, and it brought tears to Mary's eyes as she let her siblings hold her. Even Damian wrapped his arms around her waist and nuzzled her softly. Her tears were silent, and Dick whispered to her near silently. Not platitudes or empty promises, but a song. A soft tune their mother would sing as she tended to them when they were hurt as children.

Bruce, Jason and Tim had excused themselves, feeling like intruders on a private moment. If she needed to cry, she deserved to do that with her family. Not that they didn't want to be her family too, but they hadn't earned that title yet. Maybe one day soon. But not quite yet.

~~~~~

Alix, Chloe and Juleka were freaking out. After the museum attack, neither Kagami or Mary were answering phones. They were losing their minds with worry, ignoring Lila's loud wailing about how she had 'almost died', which they could hear from down the hall.

Never mind the fact that all of them had almost died. Never mind the fact that two of their classmates were still missing. Heaven forbid anyone else ever got to actually think about themselves or their friends. So there they were, sitting together in Juleka and Alix's room, staring at their phones as though willing them to ring and talking about trivial things to try and distract themselves.

It was Chloe's phone that rang first.

"Mary cat?"

Mary signed in relief on the other end.

"Thank god you're alright. Are Alix and Juleka with you? Can I talk to all of you guys real quick?"

Chloe put her phone on speaker and set it down between the three of them, seated on Juleka's bed.

"You're on speaker Mary cat."

The bluenette bit down on her bottom lip, looking to her siblings (not that their friends could see that) before responding.

"I'm so glad you guys are all okay. Look, I can't talk long because I'm dealing with my idiots, but I wanted to check in. Kagami and I couldn't find the class after the museum, but Ricky was there and he took us home with him to get us somewhere safe and warm. We're okay here. I need you guys to look after Adrien though, okay?"

Chloe scoffed.

"Why should we look out for that creep? He lets Lila hang all over him like he's a damn jungle gym."

Marinette sighed tiredly.

"There are a lot of details, but the short version is that Kagami asked him to do that so she could expose Lila."

A loud crash was heard, and Mary yelled in an entirely different language.

"Sorry guys, gotta go. My siblings are trying to kill each other. I'll talk to you all in the morning. Remember, keep an eye on Adrien. If it looks like Lila is getting to much for him, get him out of there. We'll explain everything later."

And with that, the call ended.

Alix chuckled softly.

"Well, at least they're safe. And apparently, not bored. Unlike me. Let's watch a movie!"

~~~~~

Kagami wasn't at all certain how this had started. Only that Dick and Damian had been arguing about who Mary's favorite sibling was. Both were certain that the title belonged to them. Kagami was certain that the title was hers. So of course, they did what any normal siblings would do when disagreeing . . . they started launching sharp objects at each other.

Dodging around each other, trying to hit each other with dangerous projectiles was one thing. But angry Mary was another thing entirely. The projectiles were dangerous, but Mary's temper was downright lethal. So when she crossed her arms and started tapping her toes, all three of her siblings stopped dodging, throwing, and generally fighting to scramble into a line right in front of her.

Damian huffed, frowning at Dick.

"Mary, will you please tell this Neanderthal that I'm your favorite brother?"

Dick scoffed in disbelief, turning to Damian.

"No way, I'm her favorite brother!"

Mary arched a brow at Kagami, who just shrugged.

"I don't have to join this fight. You only have one sister, obviously I'm your favorite. Favorite brother is between the boys."

Chuckling softly, Mary leaned over and whispered to Kagami.

"Don't tell them, but Kim is my favorite brother."

Kagami snorted, and Mary smacked Dick and Damian upside the head, huffing softly.

"Boys, there's no point in fighting over this. We're all siblings regardless, so it doesn't matter."

And if her favorite brother wasn't actually her sibling, well they didn't have to know that.

Kagami just shook her head.

"Having super siblings is so weird."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys there's literally just a very specific conversation that's gonna take place near the end of the story and I really wanna get to it soooo MORE UPDATES!
> 
> Also, completely unrelated but I'm a natural brunette and tomorrow I'll be blonde and I'M SO EXCITED!
> 
> Anyways, hope you enjoyed! Stay tuned for more!


	6. Batman Finds Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bruce Wayne didn't know anything about Paris before these two girls showed up. But now, he will do whatever he can to help them.

When the Wayne family sat down to dinner, along with Marinette and Kagami, it was surprisingly pleasant. The conversion was light and somewhat agreeable, the banter was friendly, and the girls were smiling the whole meal. Bruce was glad. After all, Alfred seemed to think they were under quite a bit of stress. It wasn't until the end of the meal, when Bruce requested to see them in his office that things became uncomfortable. Just the girls, and if he caught the boys eavesdropping, he made it very clear that they would be severely punished.

So there they sat in his home office, him behind the desk and them perched demurely on the two chairs in front of it. From the looks of them, no one would know they weren't blood related. Mary was dressed in Robin colors. The color of her family's last circus costumes. The colors of her family. Kagami was dressed in Red Robin colors. They likely had no significance to her, but they looked good on her to say the least.

Both girls sat with their legs crossed at the ankles, hands folded in their laps and sharp eyes focused solely on him. No doubt posturing they had learned from Tomoe Tsurugi. A shrewd businesswoman if ever heard of one.

"Ladies, I hope you don't mind but some matters have come to my attention that I believe you could clear up."

Mary looked over to Kagami, who nodded once. She cleared her throat delicately and turned her piercing eyes to stare through his soul.

"Of course Mister Wayne. We will do our best to clear up whatever questions you may have."

Bruce shifted slightly, a bit uncomfortable with that stare but highly unwilling to show that to two teenage girls.

"Thank you for your cooperation. It has come to my attention that the two of you have developed superhero personas by the names of Crimson Wing and Lady Noire. Is that right?"

Kagami nodded, eyes twinkling with amusement at this discomfort.

"Yes, that's correct. I am Crimson Wing and Mary is Lady Noire. We are Paris' main superheroes."

Bruce felt his chest tighten. Ah yes, the familiar ache of meeting children he couldn't save from the life of a hero. A life of sacrificing again and again for the greater good without anyone knowing just how much you gave up for the safety of others. He knew it intimately.

"And your villain?"

Mary scoffed lightly, crossing her arms.

"Villains. Plural. Papillon and Mayura. The butterfly and peacock. Their abilities are meant to be used for the greater good, but they've been corrupted. Which means that we get to deal with mass numbers of possessed people with different powers each time. Although, occasionally if it's a slow day Papillon will send us a familiar enemy just to be difficult."

Kagami bristled at the mention of familiar foes, eyes narrowing ever so slightly. An aura of rage began to seep from her, and Mary sat a hand on her sister's knee, which seemed to help. If only a little.

"You must understand, our villains use civilians as their weapons. Their abilities allow them to sense emotion. They take the negative ones and use them to turn ordinary people into villains with one sole objective. No one remembers their akumatization after the fact, and it's always difficult to see their faces after. They're always so guilty just for feeling the way they feel."

Her fingers clenched and unclenched once, and she seemed to sag a bit. Not enough to be unprofessional, but enough that he knew what weight must be on her shoulders. Both of their shoulders. Who put the weight of the world on the shoulders of two teenage girls!? Still, he was hesitant to question. Not that he had much choice.

"And you mentor?"

The question was soft, and the girls looked guilty. Mary bit down on her bottom lip, looking to Bruce with sad eyes as she answered.

"Master Fu . . . He is very old now. He can't take up a miraculous, his body can't handle the strain. So he gave us the Miraculous. We tracked him down after our first battle and he began training us to take up the mantle. Not that any of us had much choice in the matter. Pocket gods can be . . . Convincing."

Bruce quirked a brow, pursing his lips.

"Pocket gods?"

The girls looked at one another, and Kagami sighed softly.

"Tikki, Plagg, you may as well come on out."

A little red sprite like creature with big blue eyes popped up from behind Kagami's shoulder. It waved cheerily, and he waved back. A little black one floated lazily up from Mary's bag and onto her shoulder, giving a mock salute. Mary just chuckled.

"The little sweetheart with Kagami is Tikki, and my friend here is Plagg. The Goddess and God of creation and good luck, and destruction and bad luck respectively. Essentially, they're pocket gods, and they give us the ability to become our superhero personas."

Bruce started to ask another question, but both girls' phones went off. They both stood from their seats, and Mary turned to him with a stem look.

"That's an akuma alert. We're going to have to take care of it. I know you're a bit of a skeptic, so if you want to see first-hand what's going on you better suit up fast."

Bruce opened a drawer in his desk and pulled out a cowl, already beginning to unbutton the business suit he wore over the Batman suit. Kagami grinned.

"And you might wanna to cover your eyes."

He didn't quite understand, but he took her word for it.

"Tikki, spots on!"

"Okay Plagg, claws out!"

Even with his eyes shut he saw the bright lights. When they died down he, pulled on his cowl and opened his eyes, standing and shedding the rest of his over suit. Pulling a utility belt from under the desk, he strapped it on.

"So, how do we get to Paris."

Mary pulled out her baton, flicking the top open to show a screen with three symbols on it he couldn't quite make out.

"Our ride should be here in three, two,-"

She pointed towards the door, and a swirling vortex of blue formed from thin air.

"A pleasure as always ladies."

The boy on the other side had to be around the same age as the girls, dressed in deep brown spandex from head to toe, blonde hair swept to one side and mischievous green eyes shining through his mask. He twirled a horseshoe around his finger, and the girls chuckled softly, Kagami shaking her head.

"We are glad to see you as well Stallion. This is Monsieur Batman. He'll be accompanying us today."

The girls each grabbed one of his arms and tugged him through, the city lit up with lights though it was the middle of the night here. The streets were chaotic filled with people running and screaming. Stallion's spoke quickly, leading them off towards where he assumed the villain must be.

"It's another Sandboy incident. His mother is on a trip and hasn't returned yet, he's terrified she won't come back and it gave him nightmares. Poor kid. His father is worried sick, but safe."

Bruce paled considerably.

"The villain is a child!?"

Crimson Wing looked at him for a moment, pursuing her lips.

"And it isn't the first time. This is the fourth Sandboy incident we've had. There is one little boy who was first akumatized at six months old because he wanted a lollipop. He became a giant. A six year old girl who just wanted to spend time with her busy mother made humans her dolls. An animal rights activists scorned for taking care of the birds then used those same birds as weapons. A girl whose crush was oblivious so she drowned the city in her tears. Out of two million people, maybe three hundred made it to the rooftops. We had to swim through bodies-"

Mary put a hand on Kagami's shoulder, looking to Bruce with an unusually serious expression.

"We can discuss this later. For now it's sufficient to say we're very lucky Kagami's cure fixes miraculous related damage. Right now, we have to find Sandboy and get him back to his father."

Kagami nodded once, turning and taking the lead. Mary turned to him again.

"For tonight, just observe. You don't know how we do things here, and Kagami is a bit tightly wound right now. We'll discuss this more later."

~~~~~

All in all, Bruce was horrified. When the magic was purified, it was indeed just a little boy who'd be the villain. He was hugging his pillow tightly, and he had tears in his eyes as he looked up to the heroes.

" . . . It happened again, didn't it?"

Crimson Wing nodded sadly, crouching down next to him.

"Yes, I'm sorry to say that it did. But we know it's not your fault. It's perfectly normal to be worried about the people you love. Just have faith, okay? You have to tell yourself that your mother will come home safe and sound. And believe it. Try your best to believe it with all your heart."

The boy nodded, and Lady Noire knelt, opening her arms. The child rushed into them, and Mary stood with him in her arms.

"I'll take him back to his father. I'll meet you back at the rendezvous point."

The other heroes nodded, and launched themselves towards the rooftops. Mary processed at a more sedate pace, and Bruce swallowed thickly. How had he missed this?

One thing was for certain as he swung off toward the rendezvous point. This would not stand. Hawk moth would fall. And soon.


End file.
